Right so I've had my 24mm stretch for 6 years, keep good care of it all the rest. I wear a silicone plug for comfort (regularly cleaned) but recently forgot to put it back in after waking up. So it was a little sore when I put my plug back in with some vasoline, to be expected I thought (roughly 1 week not wearing the plug no major change in size). Except things have got worse. If anything touched it, there was a sever burning sensation. I took the plug out after experiencing pretty bad pain to investigate what was lurking. It wasn't good. Blood and gunk was visible on the plug. Looking in the mirror I can see sections of raw skin and what looks like blisters. The skin is red and incredibly swollen. All I can think that has happened is that the weather is really bad, like freezing temp. While I've been walking round the winds been catching in my plug and the pain was bad, and the skin stuck to the plug, when I took if out it ripped off the skin. The pain I had in the wind is in the same spots as the blister like things.

I've been regularly cleaning the skin with salt water, rinsing and covering in vasoline, but it's still really crusty and has shrunk pretty badly (I'm at about 14mm now). I took the plug out 3 days ago now, and while I know it's gunna take time to heal was hoping someone might have experienced something similar to give me some advice. Never had any issues with my stretch and now live in a new city and can't find a piercing shop to get some help. Please help if you can (also posted in aftercare section, but reposted here)

keep cleaning it. your ear mustve shrunk when you fell asleep and you never stretch with silicone or vasoline. Invest in some good oils like vitamin e oil and jojoba oil, it's worth it. When you wash it use hot salt water and clean it 2-3 time a day. try wearing ear muffs or something that will cover your ears from the wind and wont dry them out so much. For now i owuld wear wear wooden plugs since its cold the steel will get cold. Be careful! hope this helps.